


Puzzles of Complexity

by FoxRafer



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-28
Updated: 2009-07-28
Packaged: 2017-10-29 12:24:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/319860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxRafer/pseuds/FoxRafer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Happy birthday, <a href="http://stormatdusk.livejournal.com/"><b>stormatdusk</b></a>! Title taken from this quote by Douglas Horton: "The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity," and inspired by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/regooo/3750649728/"><b>this photograph</b></a>.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Puzzles of Complexity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stormatdusk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormatdusk/gifts).



> Happy birthday, [**stormatdusk**](http://stormatdusk.livejournal.com/)! Title taken from this quote by Douglas Horton: "The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity," and inspired by [**this photograph**](http://www.flickr.com/photos/regooo/3750649728/).

Sean likes fancy cigarettes. He'll smoke just about anything that's available, but he prefers those odd international brands so strong they'll probably kill you ten times faster. Or make you "strong like bull." He says it's something about the taste and the smoothness but Viggo believes it's a holdover from his youth, when it was cool and continental to have a pack of something exotic in your pocket.

Viggo relaxes further into the driver's seat and begins rolling a cigarette of his own, pictures a young Sean full of cocky swagger and "fuck all" confidence. And underneath the bravado a sensitive artist, skilled and sure, with enough brass to express himself in any way he chose. Sean must have been a mystery to his family and friends, Viggo thinks, yet so genuine and kind they had no choice but to shake their collective heads and support him. Viggo understood that all too well. He'd fallen in love with all Sean's blessed contradictions, not sure even now that he'd solved all the puzzles.

Sean says Viggo's the enigma, the one that no one can ever figure out. He points to pages and pages of poetry, long disjointed phone messages and rambling e-mails as evidence, insists even his closest friends and family are left guessing. Then Viggo will cackle with laughter, eyes tightly shut, mouth wide; and Sean adds one more chapter to the riddle that is Viggo's sense of humor. But in a second he's joining him, their merriment filling the air until they're gasping for breath.

Once, years ago, both hungover and snarly, Sean had suddenly announced he didn't want to figure Viggo out. Viggo had looked at him through hazy eyes squinted against the god-awful sun. He got lost for a minute wondering how Sean managed to growl and whisper all at the same time. He wanted to laugh but knew it would hurt too much, so he patted Sean's forearm a couple of times instead, mumbled it was only fair since he'd probably never figure Sean out either. Then they'd both just put their heads back down and wished the other would get up and find something full of fat to help soothe their stomachs.

Viggo seals his freshly rolled cigarette with a quick swipe of his tongue and lights up, rolls down the window and looks aimlessly at the row of shops. It's for the best, he thinks, not ever really figuring each other out. They were two people who ran from boredom as others may run from death; the inscrutability made it exciting. New discoveries always awaited them; being surprised by each other was a gift.

He pushes the carton of Sean's fancy brand back into the bag, shifts out of park and heads out on the road. Just a few more stops and then he'll be on his way home to Sean, still with a swagger in his step and gentleness in his soul. Viggo smiles, knowing he's a lucky man, even though he has to drive miles out of his way to pick up Sean's special cigarettes. A small sacrifice, he thinks, for a lifetime of unexpected and much cherished happiness.


End file.
